FFD 12

In the end, Ginko reluctantly agreed to his suggestion. It made sense not to exhaust herself by solely focusing on the shogi board. After all, talking could be distracting for a shogi player, but it also had the potential to keep one alert.

They began chatting, alternating between shogi and school topics. As they talked, Hayama felt a wave of weariness being washed away. No longer did he have to mindlessly count the seconds on his computer desktop to pass the time.

"Hey, Ginko, are you not really good at speed shogi?" he interrupted their conversation with a sudden question.

Shogi, much like chess, originated from ancient military strategy and eventually evolved into a recreational game. When it came to playing speed shogi, one had to embody the principles of being swift as the wind, aggressive as fire, and sudden as thunder. However, Ginko's moves seemed to defy these principles.

"Ugh, stop being so chatty!" she replied, clearly unhappy with the comment.

After a few moments of silence, she broke the silence. "Like you said earlier, I'm not really great at making fast calculations. Speed shogi is quite challenging for me. I tend to excel more in long-term defensive battles and psychological tactics, although I don't rely heavily on psychological tactics."

"Psychological tactics?" he didn't find that impressive. Psychological tactics weren't exactly a groundbreaking strategy. It simply involved using different methods to distract the opponent from focusing on the shogi board. In the end, the player's own skills on the board were still the most crucial factor. Psychological tactics had limited effectiveness against veteran players.

"Why are you called the Snow White of Naniwa then? I thought it referred to your fast and reckless playing style in shogi," he asked curiously.

She glared at Hayama. "Naniwa refers to the Naniwa area, not whatever you're imagining!" she retorted, making her next move on the board.

"The Naniwa area?" he tried to recall his geography lessons. "Isn't that in Osaka? So why are you in Tokyo now? Were you originally from Naniwa?"

"You're so nosy! Just stop asking!"

He sensed that he had touched upon a sensitive topic for her and decided not to push further, feeling that it would be best to let it go.

Hayama could sense her flustered state, even though she hadn't uttered a word. Her consecutive bad moves had dealt a blow to her chances of winning.

On move 106, Hayama emerged victorious!

"Let's play again!" she suggested eagerly.

He shook his head and replied, "No, you look exhausted."

"I'm not tired!"

"Your mind is all over the place. There's no need to continue playing,"

"Goddamn it!" she abruptly ended the video call, cutting off their connection.

Hayama sprawled out on the bed, his mind filled with questions. "What did I do? Did I make her angry?"

He felt a slight discomfort in his pocket and reached inside, discovering the small box of condoms. "I completely forgot to get rid of this thing."

After giving it some thought, he nonchalantly slipped the silver box under his pillow, right next to Ginko's folding fan. It seemed like a shame to just toss it away after buying it.

Glancing at the clock, he yawned, "It's already almost 10 o'clock. I think I'll hit the shower and call it an early night."

...

In Keika's Residence

Ginko plopped down on the soft tatami mat, hugging her knees tightly, a glimmer of tears welling up in her eyes. She despised being dubbed the "Snow White of Naniwa." It might have sounded poetic and enchanting to others, but to her, it felt like mockery.

Being born and raised in Osaka's Naniwa district, shogi had always been Ginko's passion since she was a little girl. By the age of two, she already had a firm grasp of the game's rules, and at the tender age of four, she suffered her first defeat at the hands of Kousuke Kiyotaki, her then master. Determined to seek revenge, she would take the train every single day, forging ahead with unwavering determination. The local legend even said, "Because she couldn't reach the ticket machine, the station staff kindly placed a little platform for her to step on." Eventually, her persistence paid off, and she earned a place under Kousuke Kiyotaki's guidance.

She became the youngest elementary school shogi player in history and the youngest female title holder in history. Undoubtedly, she was a genius in women's shogi. Due to her undefeated record in women's shogi battles, she was hailed as the "Snow White of Naniwa" by her fans.

Once upon a time, Ginko used to take pride in that title, but everything changed two years ago.

"Naniwa only needs one 9-dan. The loser should just pack up and leave!"

Ginko could never forget that fateful day when a man dared to challenge her master, Kousuke, in six matches and ended up winning with a score of 4-2.

The truth was, Kousuke's skills were not inferior, but his opponent managed to find his weakness! Professional shogi matches are both physically and mentally draining, and usually, players only play one match a day. But on that particular day, they went on to play six matches, back-to-back, for a grueling 22 hours straight! Kousuke couldn't withstand the physical strain and was ultimately defeated.

On that very same day, Ginko also found herself up against the challenger's disciple and ended up losing all four matches, utterly defeated by this relatively unknown player.

Following that incident, Kousuke decided to leave Osaka behind and relocate to Tokyo, and Ginko followed suit. Even though they changed their base, Ginko's title remained unchanged. Fans still cheered for her as the beloved "Snow White of Naniwa," but deep down, Ginko knew she was no longer in Naniwa, both physically and emotionally.

"Master said Naniwa only needs one 9-dan. When his shogi skills decline, the sole 9-dan will be me. If you desire revenge, strive to surpass me!"

Ginko vividly remembered the disciple's haunting words. She burned with a fierce determination to catch up, to surpass him, and to restore the honor of the Kiyotaki lineage. However, with each passing day, the gap between them seemed to widen, and her goal felt more elusive than ever.

Following his victory over Ginko, the disciple swiftly ascended to the 4-dan rank in the 3-dan Tournament, officially becoming a professional shogi player. From there, he gained an unstoppable momentum, propelling himself to the prestigious 7-dan rank in less than a year. Just four months later, in a grueling and intense Tournament match, he seized the coveted title of Ryuo (Dragon King), elevating his rank to an impressive 8-dan!

Even though that disciple experienced a slump after attaining the title of Ryuo, he remained beyond Ginko's grasp. The game of shogi, once a source of joy and fascination, gradually lost its allure as it transformed into a mere instrument for her revenge.

"Hayama, that infuriating guy, he's so talented. Why can't he appreciate shogi?" Ginko silently cursed him. If only he would agree to become Kousuke's disciple, surpassing that Ryuo guy would almost be a guarantee. However, Hayama showed no interest in shogi whatsoever.

Outside her room, Keika suddenly knocked on the door, interrupting Ginko's thoughts. "Ginko-chan, want to grab some Osaka-style okonomiyaki?"

"Just a moment, Keika-nee," she replied, quickly wiping her eyes. She didn't want Keika and Kousuke to see her in such a downcast state.

Her phone slipped out of her pocket and landed on the bed. After some consideration, Ginko decided to send a message to Hayama. "There are some shogi tutorial videos in the app. Check them out and try not to rely solely on your calculations to overpower others!"

...

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